Tag: Step by step

Nintendo NES Blue LED Console Mod

One way to make your Nintendo NES stand out is to remove that boring old red power LED and replace it with a different color LED of your choice.

I recently installed a blue LED in my NES so I took pics and figured I’d do a write up for someone if they wanted to do this mod. It doesn’t take a lot of skill and it’s very inexpensive to do. I hope you enjoy my DIY how to.

Requirements:

A Nintendo NES (duh)
Soldering Iron
Solder
De-soldering braid
LED (duh again)
Phillips screwdriver
About 20 minutes total time (or more depending on your skill level) to take apart the NES and solder in the new LED

Tools required: Soldering Iron, Solder, and De-Soldering Braid

Lets begin!

Start taking apart the Nintendo NES:
1. Remove the 6 Phillips screws from the bottom of the Nintendo’s case.

View of the bottom of the Nintendo NES showing the 6 screws that need to be removed.

2. Remove the top case and unscrew the 7 Phillips screws that attach the metal casing. Remove the metal case.

View of the 7 screws that hold on the metal shielding on the Nintendo NES

3. Remove the 4 Phillips screws that attach the game cartridge caddy. Slip out the caddy.

View of the 4 screws that attach on the cartridge caddy on the Nintendo NES

4. Remove the final 2 Phillips screws that hold in the NES motherboard.

View of the 2 screws that hold in the Nintendo NES motherboard

5. Re position the motherboard out of the way and remove the 2 Phillips screws that secure the Power/Reset board.

View of the 2 screws that secure the power-reset board in the Nintendo NES

Now plug in your soldering iron and get your de-soldering braid ready. Desolder the old LED and remove the plastic light spreader with it.

Make a note of the polarity of your new LED because it WON’T work if you install it the wrong way. The way you can tell the polarity of the LED is by looking at the legs. One leg will be longer than the other. The longer leg should be on the right side if your looking at the NES from the front. If you install it with the wrong polarity it won’t damage it or the NES it just won’t light up.

View of the Nintendo NES LED polarityView of the Nintendo NES light spreader and stock Red LED

Insert your new LED into the light spreader and solder the new LED into the power/reset board.

Put the NES back together and enjoy your new colorful NES power LED.

View of Blue LED modded Nintendo NES

I hope you found this DIY how to helpful. Please leave me a comment if you feel so inclined.